Kansas City Chiefs nab Oregon speedster De'Anthony Thomas in 4th round of NFL draft

De'Anthony Thomas was one of the most explosive college players in the country. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has

Doug Farrar | May 10, 2014

Kansas City Chiefs nab Oregon speedster De'Anthony Thomas in 4th round of NFL draft /

De'Anthony Thomas was one of the most explosive college players in the country. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has never shied away from using smaller, faster players in unconventional ways, and the temptation to take Oregon running back/receiver/return man De'Anthony Thomas in the fourth round was too great to resist. Standing 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds, Thomas gained 1,890 yards rushing, 1,296 yards receiving and over 2,000 return yards in three years with the Ducks, cementing his status as one of the most exciting college players in the nation. Tremendously explosive and elusive, Thomas could be a real thriller in the NFL if he's in the right offense. The Chiefs decided that they'd see what he could do with the 124th overall pick.

When asked at the combine whether he was a running back or receiver, Thomas answered definitively.

“Yes. I can play receiver. I can play running back. Kick return. Punt return. I just want to contribute.”

MORE: Round 2-3 Snaps | 2014 NFL draft: First-round grades | Draft scene

Thomas has been at his best in big games -- the 2012 Rose Bowl and the 2013 Fiesta Bowl are but two examples -- and it's possible that Reid could use him as he used DeSean Jackson in Philly. Put him in motion and let him burn cornerbacks all day. Thomas talked about that comparison in February, as he and Jackson are friends.

“Me and DeSean, he’s from Long Beach, I’m from South Central Los Angeles," Thomas said. "We grew up in the same area but I feel like we’re two different styles of people. I learned a lot from him, just seeing him go from Cal to the Eagles. It was a great opportunity to see him doing that. Now, I feel like it’s my time to execute and do the same thing.”

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Published May 10, 2014

DOUG FARRAR

SI.com contributing NFL writer and Seattle resident Doug Farrar started writing about football locally in 2002, and became Football Outsiders' West Coast NFL guy in 2006. He was fascinated by FO's idea to combine Bill James with Dr. Z, and wrote for the site for six years. He wrote a game-tape column called "Cover-2" for a number of years, and contributed to six editions of "Pro Football Prospectus" and the "Football Outsiders Almanac." In 2009, Doug was invited to join Yahoo Sports' NFL team, and covered Senior Bowls, scouting combines, Super Bowls, and all sorts of other things for Yahoo Sports and the Shutdown Corner blog through June, 2013. Doug received the proverbial offer he couldn't refuse from SI.com in 2013, and that was that. Doug has also written for the Seattle Times, the Washington Post, the New York Sun, FOX Sports, ESPN.com, and ESPN The Magazine. He also makes regular appearances on several local and national radio shows, and has hosted several podcasts over the years. He counts Dan Jenkins, Thomas Boswell, Frank Deford, Ralph Wiley, Peter King, and Bill Simmons as the writers who made him want to do this for a living. In his rare off-time, Doug can be found reading, hiking, working out, searching for new Hendrix, Who, and MC5 bootlegs, and wondering if the Mariners will ever be good again.